I Dreamt I Was in Heaven - The Rampage of the Rufus Buck Gang [Kindle Edition]

Leonce Gaiter (Author)

Book Description

In the waning days of Indian Territory, the multi-racial, teenaged Rufus Buck Gang embarked on a vicious, childish, and deadly 13-day rampage that shocked even this lawless place. Their goal was to take back Indian lands. Based on the true story, this is a tale of how real-life figures "Hanging Judge" Isaac C. Parker, notorious half-black, half-Indian outlaw Cherokee Bill, one-quarter Cherokee "gentlemen bandit" Henry Starr, relative of the notorious Belle Starr, and the worst of them all, half-black, half-Indian Rufus Buck, collided during the summer of 1895. In lawless Indian Territory the end of an era approached. The U.S. government continued to co-opt Indian land for settlement. Judge Isaac C. Parker's judicial tyranny over 74,000 square miles of Indian Territory was coming to an end. Against this background, the teenaged Rufus Buck Gang embarked on their mad quest to reclaim Indian lands from US settlement. Rufus is guided by a sense of religious mission, by heavenly visions made manifest in the form of the extraordinary, 13 year-old Theodosia Swain. With his angel to guide him, he sets out to do the impossible with a missionary's zeal, a child's anticipation, and a grown man's violence. In "I Dreamt I Was in Heaven," famous, historical figures dance with fictional characters to create a turn-of-the-century tapestry of violence and innocence, love and betrayal, butchery and grace--mirroring and chafing against the backdrop of a burgeoning United States, and a disappearing American West.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leonce Gaiter’s noir thriller “Bourbon Street” was published by Carroll & Graf. His non-fiction has appeared in The Huffington Post, LA Times, The Washington Post, Salon, NY Times, NY Times Magazine and in national syndication. He has worked professionally in the creative ends of the film, recording, and marketing industries.

Product Details

• File Size: 376 KB
• Print Length: 290 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0615490107
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Legba Books (July 7, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005BQXZMI
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,395 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Buck Wild In The West.... August 8, 2011

By Phyllis Rhodes VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Before opening I Dreamt I Was In Heaven, I admittedly knew nothing of The Rufus Buck Gang; my knowlege of Wild West outlaws was limited to more popular and celebrated villians along the lines of Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and the like. Thus Leonce Gaines's latest offering into the badlands of the wild, wild West was a enlightening yet tragic history lesson.

The novel opens with a frenzied mob seeking revenge toward the recently captured gang entering town under the protection of marshals. Then via a series of alternating flashbacks that continue throughout the book, the reader settles comfortably into the 1880s Indian Territory. The era's political and social issues and injustices are rendered via the intersecting experiences and philosopies of four key colorful characters Rufus Buck, Cherokee Bill, Dapper Henry Starr and "Hanging Judge" Isaac Parker. ''Both Rufus and the Judge are on conflicting missions of sorts -- Rufus, a wayward teen of Native- and African-American descent, and his multi-racial gang, wanted to instill fear into the hearts of whites and chase them from the Territory while the Judge practiced the law (a blend of God's, Natural (a la Darwin), and man's) in an attempt to bring order and civility to the region simultaneously weeding out the undesirable elements.

Inspired by Cherokee Bill's legacy, Rufus and his teen friends set out on a misguided rampage erroneously believing their antics would ignite an Indian uprising to reclaim their land. For nearly two weeks during the summer of 1895, the gang committed multiple acts of murder, rape, assault, thievery and arson; and they were quite successful at instilling fear amid the settlers.... The gang was eventually captured and despite all the mayhem and crimes they committed, they were convicted on a single charge of (gang) raping a white woman - sadly in a bigoted, unforgiving era this was the most heinous of crimes (especially for men of color) and were sentenced to hang for it.

The book is based on actual events and persons. It is wonderfully imagined -- Gaiter dives into the psyches of Rufus, the Judge and offers believeable, whole and wounded primary and supporting characters. It reveals the harsh realities of the times including the violence and injustice that shaped America's westward expansion. This book is recommended for history buffs with an interest in the Wild West, Native- and African-American History.

The book was provided by the author for review.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO Literary Reviews Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary read August 3, 2011

By M. Bauch

Format:Paperback

I loved this book! Not only was I completely entertained (didn't want to put it down), I was captivated by the distinct personalities of each of the players. The crazies were believably so, the politicians sly & crooked while the historical bad guys were vivid and animated. As the story was unfolding I found myself captivated by the naďve mission of the gang, sympathetic to their cause and sickened by their methods of exacting revenge. Gaiter has managed to blend just the right amount of historical fact, entertaining fiction and dark humor to create a narrative worth telling and re-telling.

5.0 out of 5 stars I Dreamt I Was in Heaven - The Rampage of the Rufus Buck Gang January 23, 2013

By Troy Johnson

Format:Paperback

Quick! Can you tell me if you knew that there was a multi-racial teenaged gang terrorizing the west? Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparison and compromise - a writer so original, he redefines, or even gives a different spin the way we interpret historical lore. Leonce Gaiter is such a writer and The Rufus Buck Gang's notorious plumage was such a part of this lore that gives the author's book a sense of virtual reality.

This book is particularly recommended for history buffs with an interest in the Wild West, Native and African-American History, and how a little-know fact shaped a dream!

Read the full review and more book reviews from AALBC.com on your Kindle Edition

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read! October 23, 2012

By Nannypie

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I Dreamt I Was in Heaven... was a good read. My bookclub was looking for something outside of our normal genre and this fit the bill. Most members enjoyed it. The author was a little long on scenic descriptions but we agreed it was written well. We also rated it a 4 out of 5.

5.0 out of 5 stars Kristi Bernard via Book Pleasures December 8, 2011

By Kristi Bernard

Format:Paperback

Today when we think of gangs our thoughts are of young punk kids who just don't want to work or go to school so they can get a job and join the ranks of the working class. Just like the rest of us. Have we asked ourselves what is their motivation? Do we really know why they dress and act the way they do? Perhaps there is an underlying method to their madness that is inspired by this generation that we can't see, or chose not to see.

Gaiter brings to life a historical novel of the old west. But not the old west we are used to reading about. This old west incorporates a young gang of teens who are a mixed breed, some black and Creek Indian. There cause is not much different than our youth of today. Economic challenges in the old west are reminiscent of today.

The opening pages of this wonderful novel show a crowd of frightened people scarred by prejudice and ready to kill those they are terrified by:

As the wagon neared, the crowd saw the shackles. With the sight of that constraining metal their courage exploded. Shouts echoed off the buildings. Faces instantly deformed with rage and hatred. Spittle flew and dripped on chins with each more violent oath. With the prisoners bound, the tables were turned and the Buck Gang were their victims now.

Then they saw the young faces. A fleeting lull descended. These were not the hardened men, the dime novel villains they all expected. These were boys, none of them out of his teens. They had been terrorized - made to question their rights as men - by children. The crowd exploded.

Gaiter brings life back into the old west and how things really were. During the rein of hanging judge Isaac C. Parker, a mixed breed himself, attempts to maintain the law.... This proved to be difficult since large portions of Indian land housed criminals, murders, rapists and other notorious bandits not unlike the Rufus Buck Gang. Many longed to take from others leaving behind a trail of broken dreams and a crime filled legacy. The late 1890's were a difficult time for Native Americans. Their land was being taken over by the U.S. Government and most were paid a mere $265.70.

During the summer of 1895 the Rufus Buck Gang heads out to win back the lands by taunting the Indian Nation to rise up and take back what is theirs. Unfortunately, this mixed breed gang stands alone. Rufus Buck creates havoc and devastation in the realm of the white man. This streak of terror lasts 13 days before he and his ruthless gang are captured and hung.

Gaiter introduces various historical outlaws and Darwin's the Origin of Species. This brings thought to the complexities of human nature. History buffs will love this book and the voice Gaiter gives Rufus Buck. The suffering of people during this era will enlighten readers and draw them into what life must have been like in the old west. Read more ›

More About the Author

I like to write about the extraordinary. I have little interest in domestic drama, in small tales of internal struggle. I want to read and write characters who are extraordinary--larger than life. I certainly don't want to read or write about people who are "just like me." I want to read and write about those infinitely grander than I will ever be, willing to risk more, grasp more, love more, hate more, whose time and place demands more than you or I can probably imagine having to give... I guess it's my Southern gothic roots.


Official bio blurb below:

Leonce Gaiter is the author of the noir thriller Bourbon Street. His nonfiction writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, LA Weekly, NY Newsday, The Washington Post, Salon, and in national syndication.

His short fiction has appeared in the literary magazine Archipelago. His thriller Bourbon Street was published by Carroll & Graf in 2005. His historical novel, "I Dreamt I Was in Heaven - The Rampage of the Rufus Buck Gang" is from Legba Books, September 2011. He currently lives in Northern California

Raised in New Orleans, Washington D.C., Germany, Missouri, Maryland and elsewhere, Leonce Gaiter is the quintessential army brat--rootless, restive, and disagreeable. He began writing in grade school and continued the habit through his graduation from Harvard. He moved to Los Angeles and put his disagreeability to work in the creative and business ends of the film and music industries.